Raiders’ season reaches new depths in embarrassing loss to 49ers

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Oakland Raiders starting quarterback Derek Carr (4) slides to avoid being tackled by the San Francisco 49ers in the third quarter of their NFL game at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018. The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Oakland Raiders 34-3. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

Randy Vazquez/Bay Area News Group

Oakland Raiders starting quarterback Derek Carr (4) escapes the pocket against the San Francisco 49ers in the third quarter of their game at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018. (Randy Vazquez/Bay Area News Group)

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Oakland Raiders' Martavis Bryant (12) is tackled by San Francisco 49ers' Elijah Lee (47) in the third quarter of their NFL game at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018. The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Oakland Raiders 34-3. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

Oakland Raiders' Martavis Bryant (12), left, gets tackled by San Francisco 49ers' Elijah Lee (47), right, in the third quarter of their game at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018. (Randy Vazquez/Bay Area News Group)

Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group

Oakland Raiders quarterback AJ McCarron (2) throws the ball after being sacked by the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth quarter of their NFL game at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018. The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Oakland Raiders 34-3. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

SANTA CLARA, CA - NOVEMBER 1: Oakland Raiders starting quarterback Derek Carr (4) talks to his team before their game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) speaks to Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden while playing the San Francisco 49ers in the third quarter of their NFL game at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018. The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Oakland Raiders 34-3. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

San Francisco 49ers' Bradley Pinion (5) places his hand on the back of Oakland Raiders starting quarterback Derek Carr (4) as they pray after their NFL game at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018. The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Oakland Raiders 34-3. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

San Francisco 49ers' Matt Breida (22) gets tackled by a pair of Oakland Raiders defenders in the second quarter of their game at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018. (Randy Vazquez/Bay Area News Group)

Oakland Raiders' Jalen Richard (30) runs with the ball while being tackled by San Francisco 49ers' Sheldon Day (96) in the second quarter of their NFL game at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

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SANTA CLARA — If you didn’t think a miserable Raiders season could get any worse, think again.

Somehow, the Raiders stooped to even lower lows against one of two teams that entered Week 9 with a worse record than their miserable 1-6 mark. The Raiders made a quarterback starting his first career regular season game look like a potential future Hall of Famer, and in the process cemented themselves as the worst team in the NFL.

Yes, the New York Giants are also 1-7. But they can’t be worse than Jon Gruden’s Oakland Raiders.

A 34-3 loss on Thursday night prime time dropped to Raiders to 1-7. Yes, the eyes of America – or those duped into watching – witnessed a team with no hope, no reason for optimism and no resemblance of an actual NFL franchise.

Gruden has been caught barking at defensive coordinator Paul Guenther on the sideline two weeks in a row now, and with reason. Their defense is an atrocity, allowing 6.75 yards per play, which would be more than any team in NFL history, according to NFL Network. Their offense wasn’t much better.

Gruden has praised his team’s effort in the past despite their losses, but how will that be possible after an utter humiliation at the hands of the 49ers? The 49ers!

“I know it’s not looking pretty now,” Gruden said after the game. “I’ve heard a lot of negativity the last six or seven months, and rightfully so. But we’re going to build a championship football team here.”

To top it all off, a vicious fight between Raiders and 49ers fans broke out in the stands midway through the fourth quarter. After taking a punch, a man in a Marshawn Lynch jersey fell backward over a row of seats. That seemed like a fitting way for the Raiders to go out.

Here are a couple takeaways from the latest Raiders’ letdown, if your eyes can handle them.

Derek Carr helpless in the pocket

The Raiders tried Kolton Miller, Kelechi Osemele and Ian Silberman at left tackle. They tried Silberman and Brandon Parker at right tackle. They tried Osemele and Jon Feliciano at left guard.

Nothing worked, and it didn’t help Miller and Osemele re-injured their respective right knees.

“Those guys will tell you, when they’re in their spots and they’ve seen the games and the blitzes all from that spot, it makes it harder on those guys when they got to go to a new spot because of an injury,” Carr said. “And that’s not a knock on anybody … We don’t make excuses but it does make it harder.”

Carr, a week after going untouched in the pocket against a Colts pass rush that entered Week 8 tied for fourth in the league in sacks, had no chance against the 49ers. He was sacked four times in the first half, the most sacks a Raiders quarterback endured in the first half since Bruce Gradkowski in 2010 against the Texans.

The 49ers entered Thursday tied for 25th in the NFL in sacks and finished with six of Carr on the night before he exited. They finished with seven for the game, the same number the Raiders have all season. Carr had only taken six sacks twice in 69 career games prior, against the Chiefs in 2015 and against the Seahawks three weeks ago.

The dominant Raiders offensive lines of 2016 and 2017 are so far gone Carr can’t recall what they look like, and he has absolutely no chance in the pocket because of it.

Raiders make first-time starter look like proven veteran

Nick Mullens was so good against the Raiders that Twitter gave him a blue check mark…during the game.

He hadn’t taken a meaningful NFL snap before Thursday night, but the third-stringer completed 16-for-22 passes for 262 yards and three touchdowns against a porous Raiders defense.

Mullens marched right down the field on the first two drives of his career for touchdown passes, showing there’s nothing better to ease you into your first regular season action than an Oakland Raiders defense.

“Whatever game plan they put in for him, they made it easy for him,” safety Reggie Nelson said. “He made his plays and that’s that.”

The Raiders still can’t defend tight ends

Last week the Raiders allowed a combined 10 catches, 133 yards and three touchdowns to three Colts tight ends. Each caught a touchdown.

Entering Thursday, according to Pro Football Focus’ Austin Gayle, Raiders linebackers allowed 11.4 yards per target and a 154 passer rating when targeted, both highest in the league.

George Kittle, the 49ers tight end and arguably the most underrated at the position in the NFL, went off. Predictably.

The Raiders couldn’t figure out how to defend tight ends during their short week to nobody’s surprise, and Kittle tallied four catches for 108 yards and a touchdown, including a one-handed catch over the middle that turned into a 71-yard gain setting up his own receiving touchdown.

“Coach Shanahan puts me in positions to get open and he tells the quarterback to throw me the ball,” Kittle said. “He has the offensive line blocking for him the whole time which gives me the time to run my route.”

Matt Schneidman joined the Bay Area News Group in September 2017 to cover the Oakland Raiders. He graduated from Syracuse University in Spring 2017 and has interned with The Buffalo News, the New York Post and USA TODAY.